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Magic Moments
> 2016
> Hot Air Balloon Crash: Part Two
Episode 7473
Written
by Elizabeth Packett, Directed
by Gary Conway, Produced
by Natalie Lynch
Channel Eleven: 12/10/16, Channel 5: 12/10/16
Jacka sabotages the cylinders on the hot air balloon... Karl is feeling hungover from the night before... The hot air balloon takes off with Lauren, Piper,
Paige, Elly and Regan inside... Regan tells Elly that she needs to speak to her about Jacka... The burners in the balloon go out... Drifting aimlessly without
power, Paige decides to jump out of the balloon... The hot air balloon crash lands into some trees as Mark, Karl, Brad and Ben arrive on the scene... Lauren,
Elly and Regan are badly injured by the crash... Karl realises that Regan has a serious head injury and asks Ben for a power drill... Jack finds Paige's red
scarf lying in the surf as he searches for her...
At the lake, a despairing Jack spots Paige lying on the shore and rushes over to her.
 ..
Paige is barely conscious and unable to speak properly, shivering with cold after leaping from the balloon. Jack manages to sit Paige up as he puts his
jacket over her shoulders - he then picks her up and carries her away from the shore.
Back at the crash site, a flustered Karl is on the phone to the hospital, requesting that he be allowed to speak to a neurosurgeon immediately,
indicating that they don't have much time with Regan's critical condition. He ends the call just as Ben rushes over with the equipment Karl requested.
Knowing that help will not be forthcoming, Karl prepares to use the power drill to relieve the swelling on Regan's brain. Ben asks Karl if he is able to
perform this type of procedure on his own, but Karl assures him that he has enough knowledge from reading various medical texts. Despite Karl's reassurances,
Ben isn't convinced, asking whether it wouldn't be better to wait for the ambulances to arrive. Karl warns Ben that time is critical, and he wouldn't risk
this type of procedure if it wasn't necessary, implying that without immediate treatment Regan will die. Ben becomes increasingly upset and worried as Karl
prepares to use the drill.
 ..
Jack is making his way through the forest with Paige in his arms. Her condition isn't improving as Jack tries to keep her conscious, telling her not to
fade out on him.
Elsewhere at the crash site, Brad is still tending to an injured Lauren as Piper comes over Ð she tells them that Mike and his hot air balloon colleagues
are okay and that Karl is about to perform emergency surgery on Regan. A distressed Lauren suddenly cries out for Paige, her memories of her jumping out of
the balloon coming back to her. Brad tries to calm her down by telling her that Jack has gone to look for her, and once the ambulances arrive, he'll also go
out and search. A few metres away from Lauren, Mark is tending to Elly's injuries. She is very weak and after a few mumbled words suddenly passes out, leaving
Mark concerned. He tries to rouse her, but she remains unconscious, so he takes decisive action and decides to perform CPR. As he begins pressing on her
chest the ambulances arrive, much to the relief of the group.
 ..
After wandering through the forest Jack comes across a shed; he tells Paige that they will seek shelter here for a while before going back for help. Paige
is still shivering badly so Jack tells her that she needs to take off all her wet clothes to regain some warmth. He then orders her to lie down on the floor
of the shed and wraps a blanket around her, cuddling up next to her. He asks Paige if she is more comfortable now and she nods despite her body still
shivering with cold.
On Power Road, Paul comes across the scene of the accident involving Steph and her motorbike. He speaks to one of the officers to ascertain what has happened.
The officer tells him that a female motorcyclist has been taken to hospital after skidding on her bike, caused by her trying to avoid something in the road.
She is unable to give Paul any further information and gets back into her cruiser. As Paul walks away he notices a propeller from Jimmy's drone lying by the
side of the road and puts it into his pocket. Concerned about what may have happened he calls Jimmy, telling him that he's still out looking for his drone.
He implores Jimmy not to say anything to anyone if they start asking him questions.
 ..
At the hospital Toadie arrives to check up on Steph, but the nurse on duty cannot give him any information, telling him that there is an influx of
patients due any minute. As she leaves David walks up to Toadie and introduces himself as a doctor, informing him that he is at the hospital visiting
his grandmother. He offers to make some inquiries about Steph on Toadie's behalf.
In the shed, Jack is taking care of Paige; he tells her that she isn't shivering as much as she dozes fitfully. Jack asks Paige if she is well enough
to remain in the shed whilst he goes to get some help, but Paige tells him that if he waits a few minutes she can come with him. Recalling the events of
earlier, Paige confesses to Jack that she was scared in the hot air balloon but feels upset with herself for abandoning Lauren, Piper and the others by
jumping out. Jack defends Paige's actions, assuring her that she was acting on auto-pilot due to the nature of the situation. Paige becomes upset as she
tells Jack that the whole situation was terrifying, but all she could think about was him and the way they left things. Replaying in his mind the phone
message that Paige left him, Jack tells her that when Piper told him that she had jumped out of the balloon he feared the worst, angry at the thought of
losing her after all the hurt he put her through. Paige is surprised when Jack mentions that in his darkest moment he prayed for her, telling Paige that
he couldn't imagine his life without her and that he loves her. This emotional confession from Jack leads to an impassioned kiss between the two of them.
As the intensity of their emotions entwine, Jack takes his dog collar off and they kiss passionately, the weight of the day's events adding extra power to
their feelings.
 ..
Back at the hospital, Lauren is being wheeled in on a trolley as Piper clings to her side Ð she asks where Brad is, but Piper assures her that he will
be back soon as he is out looking for Paige. As she is wheeled into theatre Karl is explaining to one of the nurses the procedure he performed on Regan,
telling Nurse Fisher how he used a drill to drain the swelling from her head injury and thankfully she remained breathing. The nurse is looking at Karl
strangely and asks him if everything is okay. He tells her that he is fine and asks the nurse for an update on Regan, but she informs him that she will be
in surgery for a while, and it would be best if he went home. As she leaves David comes up to congratulate Karl, praising him for the amazing job he did to
save Regan. He also introduces himself to Ben, telling him that he must be so proud of his grandfather. Despite the warm acknowledgements from Ben and David
regarding his life saving actions, Karl looks strangely flat and troubled.
After their kiss earlier, Paige and Jack have consummated their relationship and are happily lying together on the floor of the shed. Paige tells Jack that
she didn't think this would ever happen, and that she pushed these kinds of thoughts out of her mind due to her worries that it was sinful to even want it.
Jack assures her that she was just following her heart, confessing to Paige that he loved her from the first moment he saw her, admiring her beauty, power
and strength. He wanted to have her in his arms at every opportunity but was torn by his duty to the parish. They kiss again as Paige tells Jack that this
feels like a dream.
 ..
At the hospital, Mark is on the phone to a police colleague, who informs him that there was a problem with the gas flow to the cylinders on the balloon.
Concerned at the news, Mark asks the colleague to keep him updated as he goes to speak to Nurse Fisher, looking for an update on Elly. The nurse tells Mark
that Elly suffered a trauma to the head which led to a reduction of oxygen to the brain, but thanks to his actions in performing CPR oxygen was restored to
Elly's brain immediately. She warmly informs Mark that thanks to his quick thinking he saved Elly's life. As she departs, Mark is interrupted in his thoughts
by Toadie, who tells him that Steph is asking after him. Mark is confused, unaware that Steph has been involved in an accident. He asks Toadie to tell him
what happened.
In one of the hospital rooms, Steph is lying in bed with Paul sitting by her side. She starts to recollect what brought her to the hospital, informing Paul
that one minute she was riding down the road on her bike and the next minute she was skidding. Paul is reminded of the propellor he found earlier from Jimmy's
drone and asks Steph if she swerved to avoid something on the road, but Steph isn't sure. He then asks her if she hit something or something hit her. Steph
doesn't understand why he is asking these questions and Paul quickly covers himself, stating that he is just concerned for her welfare. Paul departs as
Toadie and Mark enter the room. Mark apologises for arriving so late, but he had only just heard the news. He jokily tells Steph that he would ask her to
get rid of that bike, but he knows she wouldn't listen. He then asks her where she was going. Steph tells Mark that she was heading to the balloon site
after Jacka's earlier visit, worried that Jacka had done something to sabotage the balloon after his insinuations. She wanted to warn everyone of this,
but Mark gravely informs her that the hot air balloon crashed. He then receives a phone call from forensics which leaves him concerned. Mark tells Steph
that the valves on the gas cylinders were glued shut and Jacka's fingerprints are all over it, meaning that he could be up for attempted homicide.
 ..
Back at the shed, Jack is getting dressed - he tells Paige that they should head back to the others and Paige agrees, telling him that they will be
worried. Jack places his dog collar into his pocket rather than putting it back on, and Paige gives him a knowing smile. As they get ready to leave they
suddenly hear Brad calling from outside. Jack goes outside and tells Brad that they are okay, leading him into the shed to let him know that Paige is
alright. Brad is astonished to see Paige looking so well but becomes suddenly suspicious when he sees her clothes lying all over the floor. Jack covers
himself by saying that Paige was soaking wet when she fell into the dam, and he had to take her clothes off to keep her warm. Still slightly perturbed
by what he has seen, Brad tells Paige that Lauren and Piper are okay and then leaves to let Paige get dressed, telling her that if she's feeling up to it
they need to get moving.
At the hospital, Xanthe and Angus arrive to check on Piper and Elly. They see Ben in the waiting area and ask him where Piper and Elly are. Ben tells
them that Piper will not leave Lauren's side until a room is available for her and that Elly is recovering elsewhere in the hospital. Angus goes off to
check on Elly whilst Ben and Xanthe decide to get a coffee. As they depart Karl is talking to Toadie in one of the consulting rooms about the emergency
surgery he performed on Regan. Despite Toadie's reassurances that he saved Regan's life, Karl is unsure whether he should have acted as he did considering
his state. He tells Toadie that he wasn't feeling his best after the drinks he had in the restaurant the previous night, and Toadie asks Karl if he was
still drunk when he performed the operation on Regan. Karl assures Toadie that he wasn't drunk but just not feeling a hundred percent; he wonders if he
acted too rashly, doing more harm than good. Despite his reservations Toadie tells Karl that he stopped Regan from having a seizure and acted on impulse,
telling him once again that he did the right thing. Karl gratefully nods at Toadie's kind words but still isn't entirely convinced.
 ..
Lauren is still waiting for a bed to become available and is on a trolley in the hospital waiting area. Piper is by her side and very upset; she talks
to Toadie about how she cracked a few ribs and broke her ankle but is otherwise okay. Toadie tells Piper that she must be relieved that they found Paige,
and she agrees, however she is devastated that Jacka decided to sabotage their hot air balloon and tells Toadie that it is a horrific thing to do. As she
continues to sob Tyler enters the hospital and goes over to see Piper. He asks her if she is okay and she tells him that her injuries are only superficial
and she will be fine. Sensing that Piper is emotionally wrought, Tyler brings her in for a warm embrace as she continues to cry.
In one of the hospital rooms Angus is sitting beside Elly's bed as she begins to stir. She asks Angus what happened and why she is in the hospital. Angus
tells her about the hot air balloon crash but assures Elly that everyone is okay, including Paige, who he mentions is being brought into the hospital soon.
Elly then mentions Ned, asking Angus if he knows about her being in the hospital, but Angus tells her that Ned is the reason behind the hot air balloon
crash. Astonished at this news, Elly becomes tearful as Angus tries to comfort her. He tells her not to worry about Ned and takes her hand, assuring her
that he will be here for her and will not be going anywhere. Elly smiles at this.
 ..
Having gotten control of her emotions, Piper mentions to Tyler that Paige survived thanks to a tree breaking her fall when she jumped out of the balloon,
much to everyone's relief. Tyler confesses to Piper that when he heard about the crash on the radio all he could think about was her. As they go to embrace
at this heartfelt moment, Xanthe rushes in to see them. She tells Piper that she has spent ages looking for her and goes in to give her a rather crushing hug.
In the reception area, Karl rushes over to Nurse Fisher, asking her if there is any further news on Regan. The nurse informs Karl that Regan made it
through surgery but that there were some postoperative complications, gravely telling him that she died five minutes ago. Her manner towards Karl is still
frosty, and she quickly departs, telling him that she has things to do. Karl looks anxious and worried as he tries to digest the news about Regan's death.
 ..
Paige has arrived at the hospital with Brad as Lauren has finally been allocated a hospital bed. She goes over to see Lauren, telling her how sorry she is
for jumping out of the balloon and leaving them. She does, however, joke that she came off better from the crash, although Lauren tells her this is beside
the point. Piper is also in the room and mentions that the police are still looking for Jacka but cannot find him. At the mention of Jacka, Brad becomes
worried, he wonders if his actions in confronting Jacka have somehow contributed to this unfortunate incident. Piper tells Brad that he cannot be held
accountable for Jacka's behaviour, insisting that he is a lunatic. Having also arrived at the hospital, Jack comes into the room to check on Paige and they
share a knowing smile. Lauren and Brad thank Jack for his help in finding Paige and bringing her to safety in the shed, inviting him over to dinner once
things are back to normal. As Jack and Paige share more smiles Brad receives a FaceTime call and departs.
In the reception area Brad dials in to his call, it's Ned. Ned asks Brad if everyone is okay from the crash and without mentioning what happened to Regan,
Brad is vague, telling Ned that most of them are okay. He implores Ned to return to Ramsay Street but Ned tells Brad that he can't, confessing to him that
he has done something really bad and has messed up. Brad is concerned now and asks Ned to tell him what has happened. Asking to keep this between the two
of them, Ned begins his story.
 ..
Later in the day, Karl is standing in the hospital room where Regan was being treated. He looks concerned at what has happened and scans through the medical
notes. These are quickly taken away by the nurse as David enters the room. He tells Karl that it is probably none of his business, but he wanted him to know
in advance something that he heard from one of the nurses who spoke to Karl when he first came in. Karl assumes that this is Eve Fisher and David goes on,
telling him that Nurse Fisher was talking to the other nurses as she smelt alcohol on his breath. She was worried that he may have been under the influence
when he was operating on Regan. Karl asks David if this is just gossip or whether Nurse Fisher is planning on doing something about this. David replies that
she is planning to report him, leaving Karl looking troubled.
Featured Regular Characters: Jack Callahan, Paige Smith, Brad Willis, Piper Willis, Lauren Turner, Karl Kennedy, Ben Kirk, Mark Brennan, Elly Conway, Paul Robinson, Xanthe Canning,
Steph Scully, Toadie Rebecchi
Guest Cast: Takaya Honda as David Tanaka,
Sabeena Manalis as Regan Davis,
Ben Hall as Ned Willis,
Jai Waetford as Angus Beaumont-Hannay,
Abbe Holmes as Eve Fisher,
Amy Gubana as Miranda Coby
Trivia Notes
• None
Summary
by Michael
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